


What We Never Even Realized

by nobodys_hero



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Angst, M/M, No Smut, Not aplogizing, Sanji is kind of a dick, poor Zoro, works out in the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 08:04:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10486113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobodys_hero/pseuds/nobodys_hero
Summary: Zoro had been Sanji's booty call for years with a really big secret, he has been in love with the blonde for even longer then Sanji has been using him for stress release. Unfortunately for Zoro can no longer walk the line with his blonde best friend and he calls it all off.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone. Here is another one shot while I am at work. Let me know what you think.

“Sanji...” Zoro's voice was quiet on the phone as he braced himself.

“Yes Marimo?” The French Man's confusion was clear in this lightly accented voice. It was understandable considering Zoror only called his real name when he had to say something serious.

“We need to end this, whatever we have we need to end it. This some what friends with benefits crap has to end, I can't do it anymore, I am sorry.” With that he hung up the phone before he lost his will and told the blonde never mind and to forget what he had said.

That had been two weeks ago and Zoro had yet to socialize or even leave his apartment if not to go to workout at his gym since the end of that call. He hadn't seen Luffy or Nami or Ussop, not even Chopper and he didn't want to think of the cause of his pain itself Sanji. The only one that he had around was Robin, Luffy's cousin, and that is because she was forcefully making sure Zoro was alive. She had figured out many years ago that Zoro's heart belonged completely to his french best friend and that he had given the final blow to breaking his own heart, though it wasn't a hard thing to finish off considering being the other man's toy for years chipping away at the strong heart piece by piece for years. Zoro and Sanji had met over a decade ago when the blonde moved to their town from France with his father, Zoro had moved there from Japan a few years prior. They had been begrudgingly best friends for years, fighting like an old married couple but never backing down to each other, opposites that were always easily matched and could read each other like an open book. She was against Zoro jumping at the chance to be Sanji's play thing when the French men offered while drunk at a party when they were 18. Zoro had told Robin that he could handle the repercussions of his choice and that he was an adult who could live with his own decisions and possible mistakes. He figured it was all he was ever going to get of the cook and he was not going to throw that chance away. He would never regret his choice to be with Sanji even if it ended up tearing him apart in the end. Over the last seven years though hope had taken part of Zoro's heart and built a hold that would whisper in the back of his mind that maybe Sanji would grow to love him back one day. That dream along with that hope shattered right there with his already cracking heart and self worth that night two weeks ago hours before he ended that small piece of happiness he had.

_It had been a normal hang out night over at the Monkey house. Luffy, Ace, and Sabo were fighting over space on the couch. Nami and Robin were sharing the love seat. Frankey was out in the garage with Ussop working on some new project. Chopper had been sitting in Zoro's lap going on about something exciting happening in his medical classes and that he finally made a friend with some guy named law who was going to come over, he really hoped Zoro approved of his new friend, And Sanji was cooking as always. They were waiting on the last arrivals before starting the movie marathon of the evening when the conversation between Sanji and Nami took place while Sanji was serving snacks. These days were peaceful and far and few between now a days with everyone’s vast schedules, it had been awhile since they were ALL together. No one but Zoro and Robin knew that Sanji was in fact bisexual since he was so far in the closet they were pretty sure he built a camp in Narnia. Zoro and Sanji kept their relationship a secret from the rest of their make shift family for Sanji's sanity thought everyone knew Zoro was gay. They relieved their tension with their normal fighting followed by more private activities while no one was watching. That was all until the conversation started._

_“Sanjiif you have such bad luck with women you should give men a shot don't you think?” Nami was trying to tease the renowned skirt chaser. “Since you never have anyone serious even since you were a sophomore in high school you should try a man.” Zoro and Sanji both knew she was joke, hell everyone did. It was a common tease for the blonde since he was terrified of transvestites and once drunkenly brought one home. “Zoro is a great example and the only eligible bachelor we know that swings that ways. You never know he could be a romantic and gentle lover.” Nami would never know how right she was on that statement but Sanji would which made him flinch and try to defend himself even at the cost of their relationship for what ever it was worth to him. Sanji's face turned into one of fear and disgust and it churned something deep inside zoro and made his hope wilt like a dying flower. Like he was the beast from the blonde's favorite princess movie._

_“If I were to stoop to dating some man my dearest Nami instead of a beautiful and delicate flower such as yourself I would never chose a man, no a brute in the likes of the moss head. How could some one like me be with a barbarian like him. And romantic, please, that drunk couldn't romance his way out of a wet paper bag, let alone seduce me enough to get me to stay. I have more refined tastes then he would be able to provide for me in an actual relationship. Though if I did decide to openly pursue men someone like marimo here would make a nice fuck toy, you know fun for the evening but not someone to take home to the parents.” Zoro tuned out everything after that, that part of him that was churning died at the cooks words and it caused a pain that he hadn' felt before the only thing close was was when he lost his first adopted family and was then shipped from all he had known in Japan to the town he lived in now with his new adopted father. Everything in Zoro just felt cold and numb and no one ever noticed the deadness in his eyes or the tightness in his normal stoic features other than Robin who watched in concern. It was hours after that the green haired man made the final heart breaking decision to call off it all._

Remembering the night Zoro vaugley remembered hanging up the phone in haste in his drunken stupor, there was no other way he would have been able to handle that call other than with liquid courage that numbed him so well. Zoro just couldn't handle any of it so he ended up unplugging and turning off every electronic in his apartment and drank himself into a complete black out stupor. He was lucky he was on a mandatory vacation from the school he worked at so that his students didn't have to suffer from his short comings, though they were probably enjoying their vacation more than he was. Every morning he had woken at some point with a concerned and angry Robin standing over him as he slept on his living room floor. Her scoldings fell on deaf ears as she tried to rid him of his self destructive ways. He knew he had to man up especially since he had to go back to work at the end of the weekend. He knew that he would be able to bury his pain and his still enveloping love for Sanji, he was hurting but he still loved the blonde with all he had left. He knew this was all self inflicted pain but he wanted to wallow like a coward for a little longer, licking his own wounds cause he had no one else to do it for him.

The pain got easier to handle as the days go by. Zoro had been trying to stay out of his apartment and out of his normal haunts to try to avoid thoughts of Sanji, his apartment was the worst more specifically his bedroom was the worst considering it still smelled like the blonde's favorite cigarettes, hell he still had a half full ash try on the left side table. The memories were suffocating but Zoro couldn't get himself to clear out the last good memories he had even if they were currently painful. As he told the raven haired woman years ago he would never regret his time being what ever he could to Sanji, he never could regret no matter the bitter sweet pain. The thoughts were plaguing Zoro once again as he stepped out of his shower, loose sweat pants hanging on his hips and towel around his neck, when a frantic knock pulled him back to reality. Sighing he stepped to open the door only to see the deepest blue eyes full of distress belonging to the most beautiful person in Zoro's entire world.

“What do you need Sanji?” It tool a lot of effort for the Japanese man to school his expressions and remain stoic while being stared down by the one who haunted his dreams and nightmares.

“To make sure you are still alive you grass faced jack ass. I fucked up but instead of talking it out like adults so I can apologize you call me, dump me, and disappear for two weeks.” Anger was dripping from Sanji's voice but everything else suggested he had been crying. The usually stylish man was disheveled, those Ocean blue that Zoro loved to get lost in were rimmed with red, his normally creamy skin was pale, and his usually smooth voice was hoarse from strain. He looked scared and upset and it was hurting Zoro to see him like this.

“Look I just need some time alone Sanji.” It was hard for the teacher not to embrace the cook and make him feel safe and comforted.

“But why? I know I was stupid. I know I hurt you and I did something horrible but was it enough to break up with me over. I admit I spooked when Nami said those things, I spooked and said things that were far from the truth. I was going to apologize after we left, I was planning on making it up to you but you disappeared. You wouldn't answer anyone, every time I came by to see if I could talk to you but you were never here no matter when I came.”

“But Sanji you have nothing to really apologize for I mean you were not completely wrong, I am just your easy lay. It is fine you were honest in your repulsion. I was the one who was wrong, I apparently am not capable of being your fuck buddy. It will ruin everything, it has already started taking things apart in an irreversible way.”

“But how would it ruin anything? How is it hurting anything being with me?We have been doing this for seven years and we have been fine, you have wanted me for seven years. Have you grown tired of me? You didn't even talk to me! That night you called me and sounded so in pain, something was so wrong that it scared me, then you became a ghost. I thought you were dead.” Somehow during his rant Sanji had pushed Zoro back into the apartment and was beating his precious hands against Zoro's strong, scarred, and very much bare chest. They both let the door close behind Sanji and Zoro's mind was reeling with the current situation. He had scared the blonde, made him feel unwanted, made him cry.

“Its not that I don't want you Sanji, trust me on that. I just need some time to sort out some things and I can assure you that you are better off not knowing why I had to call things off.”

“Oh no you don't Roronoa Zoro!.” Zoro once again steeped back at the force and venom in the smaller man's voice. He had seriously hurt his beloved cook and he was paying for it head on. “ We have been together for seven years so I deserve honest answers. Why did you leave me behind? Was that stupid thing really enough to sever what we had? Did you find someone else? Were you just tired of me and my endless insecurities?”

“Sanji why are you acting like you were romantically involved with me? No I have not found someone who could ever replace you. No I am not tired of you and after you give me time I will still listen to what you need heard and be there when you need to blow off steam in a non sexual way. I am not leaving you behind. I just can not handle the backlash anymore.”

“What backlash? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You are really making say it aloud to you aren't you? Sanji think about it what would make anyone stop a sexual relationship with one of the most beautiful people in the world who is also fantastic in bed.” Finally Sanji stopped beating on the green haired man's chest and just looked up at his favorite chocolate brown eyes that held golden flecks when ever the moss ball was amused.

“I would only walk away from that kind of situation if I found myself an actual lover or if I was in love..”His eyes widened as Zoro's looked away. It finally clicked for Sanji.

“If I was in love with you, exactly. I thought all those years ago that I would be able to handle it as long as I had a little piece of you, I figured I would be okay and I was for awhile after we started. Over the last seven years hope built in me that maybe you would finally fall for me as long as we were together, I treated you as a significant other not a booty call. What you said the other night made me come to terms with the fact that the hope I harbored was in vain and that it would never happen. I have to deal with the heart break which is why I need space, so I can bury it back down after a little over a decade of being in love with you. These feelings will never leave me but at least I can lock them away so I can function and so I can still be there when you need me. I will not leave you behind Sanji, how many times have I told you that. Don't worry about me, you can forget what is going on now and walk away knowing that this was nothing that you did wrong, hell you did everything right which is half the problem. If this knowledge continues to make you fell uncomfortable then I can make myself scarce around you and make sure not to bother you.”

“Why are you telling me this now? After you called it quits on me?” Sanji all about whined which was completely out of character, not that any of this was in character for either of them.

“Because it IS over Sanji. I can not walk that line anymore. I can try to be your friend, I can dream of being your lover and partner but I can't be your stress relief anymore.”

“But what if I want you to be my partner?” The words made Zoro's eyes snap back to the now blushing blonde. Sanji did not look away nor look any less determined then when he was set on getting the truth out of the larger man. He had found his resolution and he was going for it. “Since you dumped me I have been a wreck.” Honesty was the only way anything was going to fix itself between them. Zoro had been painfully honest now it was Sanji's turn. “I haven't cooked, I haven't sparred, I haven't gone out with the ladies, nothing. I can't sleep don't want food, my Father came to check on me when I didn't show up for work for days on end. He found me crying in my bed, he comforted me in a way he hasn't since we came here from France and I wanted to go back to my home. I have spent so much time in my bed in the clothes you left behind because they still smelled like you. Nami found me and made me spill everything. After calling me stupid quite a few times for hiding things from them like my bisexuality and our obvious relationship. I never actually thought about the total of our relationship until then. Your stuff is all over my apartment and my stuff at yours, we shared a bed almost every night for seven years. I can not get an actual nights sleep without you next to me. By now we come as a package deal Zoro. I can't live without you anymore and as Robin has informed you were going to end up killing yourself because of this as well. You and I are now a packaged deal. I am scared of living without you because that is not living, that is barely surviving if I find the motivation. We were in a relationship without even realizing it because it was so natural, we haven't been fuck buddies in years. Please take me back Zoror, I love you and don't want to be without you anymore.”

“I have to be dreaming. I must be passed out cold somewhere because I finally found the amount of alcohol I can not drink. You could not have just said that to me. You were disgusted at the mention of being my partner.”

“No I was scared cause not only it got to close to telling everyone I am bi but it was bringing up feelings that had been there for years that I didn't want to think about, I thought I was the one who was in love with you and was getting hurt. I lashed out and I apologize. Think back over the last seven years and tell me we are not together. It was so easy, so natural. Hell you are so easy to love I didn't know just how much I loved you until I lost you.”

“You never lost me Sanji and never would its more of if you want me or not.”

“I have always wanted you Zoro and I know it is going to take time to rebuild things after I screwed up so badly but I want to fix this. Now lets get a head start on fixing things by going to the bedroom, I need love after the last two weeks of pain.”

“I think I can fix that for you.”

 


End file.
